When heading to see Jack and the Beanstalk at Hinckley’s Concordia this winter, you have to remind yourself that this is an amateur effort.

That’s not because it’s not up to the standard of most professional productions - in fact it’s the opposite.

In my opinion the town’s Pantomime Company put on a show that’s pure magic from start to finish, and easily stands alongside the region’s professional pantos and their big budgets.

Producer and director John Hill’s cast and crew spend all year beavering away to bring a traditional pantomime of the highest quality to audiences, and this reviewer can’t thank them enough for putting on such a good show.

One of the most striking things about their 2014 production is what a feast it is for the senses.

The sets and scenery are ever-shifting, and used creatively throughout, and the giant’s entrance onto the stage extracted gasps and applause, due to how impressive Blunderbore looked.

And while, as you’d expect, Dame Trott, played by Simon Grant is stitched up brilliantly throughout in an array of creative costumes, the entire cast’s huge array of outfits are dazzling - from the lowly villagers through to Princess Rose’s dresses, the thought and invention put in to the costume is mind-boggling.

The giant’s kitchen scene alone must have featured double figures of food-related ensembles.

These standards continued on to the cast’s performances. Every singer was strong enough to match the music from the excellent live Pantomime Band, while every dance routine is choreographed slickly and carried out both with precision and with gusto, especially by the show’s smallest stars, the junior dancers.

The Fairy Flora and her vegetable-based verse had my two girls spellbound, as did Princess Rose (Emily Jones), whose every movement was disciplined and delightful.

Hero of the tale Jack Trott too was a sterling principal, while the sinister Crabapple was an excellent villain played out by Jon Constable, and King Edward The Spud’s performance from Jon Stapleton deserves a shout out.

Yoo hoo!

But the familiar face of Simple Simon (Craig Martin), as well as the Dame and Daisy the Cow, really stole the show.

This trio (quartet?) were laugh out loud funny, genuinely generating laughter as well as groans.

And Daisy was a delight, dancing about the stage rather than just plodding, and delighting the audience as a result.

So congratulations all round to everyone involved in this production, which I cannot recommend enough - my only criticism is having to wait a year before the next one!